removing leaves from front beam to soften...

Before you start fvcking with the torsion springs put an old set of shocks on the front. Or stick 50-100 lbs. of crap (tools?) under the front bonnet. It makes a world of difference.

If you're running an adjustable beam low without dropped spindles then consider adding the dropped spindles and raising the front beam. you'll have more travel in the front that way.

maybe I should cram my nephew up there. he's a good 75 lbs

nothin fancy goin on with the front end... stock ride height with no fancy drop spindles. I don't really need any more travel. I just want SOME travel as the spring rate is quite stiff...and is obviously for a heavier car

None of these tubs are stock height. If it has a beam in the front and no dropped spindles it has half the travel of a standard Beetle. A lot less weight as well.

Stock shocks are too stiff for the front end. Either old shocks or more weight is needed.

If you're experiencing any bump steer you might already be using all of your travel. Softening the suspension won't help that.

I took the beam out of my TD replica last year and replaced it with an adjustable beam. I also removed the small torsion leaves from both tubes and re-assembled. You don't "cut" them. You just take them out. The car works better without them because these cars--yours and mine--are much lighter than the Beetles the front beams were made for. Something like 300-400 pounds lighter, in my case.

The job is pretty easy if the car is up. Just make sure when putting the four larger springs back they go through the center pivot straight, like they came out. If you have adjusters you can set the ride height fine. If not it's a crap shoot. If your beam was cut and "turned" to lower the front end without reducing the spring stiffness, then you need to spend the $300 and get a new beam--or have the adjusters welded in by a competent shop.

My car--which was originally assembled according to kit instructions and had the front beam cut and welded to lower the front end--was dangerous when I got it. crazy understeer, wheel hop, brake lock...the works. Softening the suspension the right way made it handle much better and drive much smoother. Night and day. Day and night.

I was under the impression that all the Speedster replicas came with adjustable beams and spring rates reduced to something reasonable. If not, do it. You will not regret.

If you want to use the torsion suspension (as I do..no coilovers for me thank you) you have to cut the leaves..ie you cut sections out of each leaf to render it useless.... and then you tack the ends in place so the grub screws still have mounting holes

It all needs to be softened..shocks and spring rate to match the weight of the car. Not JUST THE SHOCKS. 

Ed I do have an adjustable beam...and I didnt quite get what you did to yours....?

Also it doesn't make sense to get a new beam. It's an IM and the beams are welded to the frame....which sucks cause to remove it would mean a ton of grinding and grunt labor. Better to rebuild what I have on the car.

Besides the whole car just went through full mechanical restoration and I don't need new spindles/bearings/discs etc. No reason to replace just the beam/leaves

 I don't know why there is an arguement. The spring rate is too much for the car....it NEEDS to be less for comfortable/normal daily driving AND the shocks must be matched to the new rate.

OK let's try it again. Has anyone here had experience with cutting torsion leaves?

yes.  i documented it on my site.

it made a HUGE difference to the comfort of the ride.  with the air suspension, oil shocks it's like butter.

on the way home from work yesterday - i let all the air out and RIPPED around some corners like a go cart.

it was actually pretty tricky doing the front tosion mods.  you need to make sure you have a full stack in all three mounting points (middle and both ends).  i tack welded the pieces to the bar it sat on.

Moose, Mango. I know at least one of you is far more experienced than I am, but what I did, which worked, and which has apparently worked for a lot of other people, did not involved cutting any leaves.

No cutting or welding needed.

This is for a ball joint (1968 and later) beam.

The stack of leaves iside the stock VW beam is like this: One small leaf spring on top, two small leaves laid next to each other under them, followed by four large leaves, stacked, and on bottom two more small leaves next to each other, then the final single little leaf:

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--

__

__

__

__

--

-

The hole in which this stack fits--both in the center of the beam, where it's anchored by the grub screw, and on the arm ends, anchored by two more screws, is a rectangle with a little rectangular nub on the top and bottom, and a littler nub at the edge to handle the last little leaf.

If you remove any of the small leaves--even all six of them--the other leaves are still just as tightly secured as ever. Your spring rate is reduced to something more reasonable for your car. Or at least for mine.

Oil filled shocks work best for this, and it's important that they be the correct length for the car's suspension. Stock Bug shocks will tend to bottom out, because the stock Bug sits higher than the Speedster (or my particular TD). If the shocks are bottoming, it doesn't matter what you do with the springs, it'll always ride like a rock.

Now, if you're running a kingpin beam, the story is different.

 I pulled 5 from each tube and had to play with the adjusters a bit >its trial and error But It can be done without causeing bump steer and getting a real good ride

Hi Moose,

I am not familiar with taking the leaves on the front beam, but interested in hearing how to do that. However, I am familiar with the Monroe shocks that Henry installed in his car. It was suggested to Gerd's buddy Bill (RIP). He gave me the part # and all. I agree with you it is still quite stiff as the shock is designed for, I believe, Dodge Dart which is way heavier than our cars.

John @ JPS is now using Sachs shocks, you can get here : http://www.justsuspension.com/...313-898/category/95/ and it is all oil (no gas) and is designed for VW and it is a bit softer and I like it better than the Monroe.

Hope this helps,

Eddy